Afghanistan

Lord Swinfen: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 20 April (HL2343), when they expect to respond to the Simmonds/Ferozuddin report Support to the Health Sector in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, dated 30 December 2008.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The report Support to the Health Sector in Helmand Province provided a comprehensive assessment of current healthcare provision in Helmand. This information is being used by the Government of Afghanistan, international donors (including the World Bank and the Government of Estonia) as well as the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) to feed into future policy on heathcare in Helmand.

Animal Health

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 26 February (WA 108), whether the 322 per cent increase in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs charge for Shared Service Division services to animal health has been audited by the Audit Commission or investigated by any body competent to decide whether the work done is necessary; whether the charge is reasonable; and whether the time taken is fair.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The original charge for animal health (AH) was based on a notional cost basis only, i.e. estimated staffing costs for HR, procurement and finance. The decision to move on to a fully absorbed costs model was taken across all Defra corporate services and AH were allocated additional budget to cover the higher costs, The charges now include, for example, IT costs and depreciation.
	The charging methodology and approach has been reviewed by Defra's Internal Audit Division and is compliant with the department's charging policy. The costs are also subject to discussion directly with AH.

Banking

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the answer by Lord Myners on 17 March (HL Deb, col 111) that action against the auditors of Lloyds Bank or the Royal Bank of Scotland "should be initiated by the shareholders or boards of directors of those two banks", whether the Government as a majority shareholder will now initiate such action.

Lord Myners: UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI) is an arm's-length company wholly owned by the Government, which was established to manage the Government's investments on a commercial basis. Its overarching objectives are to protect and create value for the taxpayer as shareholder, with due regard to financial stability and acting in a way that promotes competition.
	On the basis of published information, UKFI is aware of no grounds for taking legal action against the auditors of Lloyds Bank or the Royal Bank of Scotland. The boards of both banks must reach their own decisions on the matter. UKFI has engaged with the banks on a number of issues including use of auditors, and discloses any voting decisions it makes on its website at www.ukfi.gov.uk.

Banking: Iceland

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, before considering giving financial support to charities which lost money in the Icelandic banking crisis, they will investigate (a) concerns about whether charitable donations should have been invested or put to use, and (b) whether the cost of administering charitable programmes was at a level deemed satisfactory against the standards of the Office of the Third Sector and the Department for International Development.

Lord Myners: The issue of financial assistance for these charities was raised by the Treasury Select Committee in its recent report on the impact of the Icelandic banking collapse. We will be responding to the Committee on this, and the other recommendations, in due course.
	The Charity Commission is the regulator for the charitable sector and issues guidance on the principles for the investment of charitable funds and the holding of reserves. The Commission's guidance states that "the basic principle governing trustees' decisions about investing their charity's funds is that they must take a prudent approach".
	Expenditure on administration costs by a charity is a matter of judgment for the charity's trustees and should be recorded in the charity's audited accounts.

Biometric Data

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the introduction of biometric cards on the numbers of seasonal workers from Australia and New Zealand applying to come to the United Kingdom to work as sheep shearers during the coming sheepshearing season in the United Kingdom.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: It is too early to make a conclusive assessment of the effect of the new entry requirements for workers under Tier 2 of the Points Based System on this group. Defra and Home Office Officials continue to work closely with industry to ensure their impact on workers seeking entry for the current shearing season is minimised.

Bottled Water

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much (a) the Drinking Water Inspectorate, (b) OFWAT, and (c) the Environment Agency, spent on bottled water in each of the last five years.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has not spent money on bottled water. The DWI office has a supply of fresh tap water available to staff and visitors.
	Ofwat has not spent any money on bottled water.
	Environment Agency records are not held centrally and would incur disproportionate cost to collate. However since 2005 the Environment Agency has not provided bottled water as part of the hospitality service to staff or guests for meetings or other events.
	A formal operational instruction has been issued to all Environment Agency regions which explicitly states that bottled water should not be provided for meetings or other functions. The only exceptions are if drinking water is not available on site (possible at remote depots) or for emergency purposes (e.g. mains disruption).

Chaplains

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in the development and implementation of a standards and recruitment framework for all chaplains engaged in public service.

Baroness Andrews: The Experience Corps were contracted in February 2008 to produce a report based on assessment, collation and analysis of data to establish an evidence base on the existing provision of Muslim chaplaincy including standards and recruitment processes, and to develop a draft framework of voluntary standards and recruitment process for institutions to consider when engaging Muslim chaplains in public service.
	Following a tendering process in August 2008, the contract to pilot the draft framework of standards and recruitment process for institutions engaging Muslim chaplains in public service has been awarded to Faith Matters. Faith Matters will carry out a number of pilots in different institutions across the country over the coming months. The evaluation of the pilots will incorporate the views of relevant officers within participating institutions, as well as wider stakeholder consultation with imams, other faith leaders, chaplains, and officials from other government departments and relevant associated agencies. We expect the pilots to be completed by autumn 2009.
	Using key findings from evaluation of the pilots and stakeholder consultation, Faith Matters will produce updated versions of the voluntary standards framework and recruitment process, with accompanying notes and a report listing key actions that need to be taken when implementing the documents.

Civil Service: Performance Pay

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 31 March (WS 83—84), what was the estimated size of the Department for International Development's non-consolidated performance-related pay pot for the senior Civil Service, in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Lord Tunnicliffe: Pay arrangements for the Senior Civil Service are managed centrally by the Cabinet Office and are based on recommendations by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body.

Communities: Preventing Extremism

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what projects have been funded by the Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund; and at what cost.

Baroness Andrews: The list of all projects that received funding through the Preventing Violent Extremism Community Leadership Fund (CLF) in 2007-08 has been placed in the House Library. Funding allocations for each project in 07-08 have been provided in the answer to a previous Parliamentary Question (DCLG Ref: 1446 08/09).
	The full list of projects receiving CLF funding between 2008-09 and 2010-11 is set out below. This includes all projects that were awarded funding in 2008. Funding will also be subject to organisations providing sufficient evidence that projects are making satisfactory progress and organisations are complying with grant terms and conditions.
	(This table will be placed in the House Library).
	
		
			 Capacity Building 
			 Organisation Project description Proposed grant 
			 British Muslim Forum BMF will develop their own capacity and sustainability by recruiting to four posts. This will enable them to work with local Muslim organisations across the country to develop their own working arrangements and governance structures. £75,000 (08/09)   £50,000 (09/10) 
			 Business in the Community (BiTC) Mosaic Muslim Media Network for Muslims working in the media sector to build the confidence of community groups and leaders to engage the media. £25,000 (08/09) 
			 GW Theatre Company GW Theatre will build their organisational infrastructure in order to deliver a national tour of their production "One Extreme to the Other". Aimed at young people aged 14-25 and adults too, "One Extreme to the Other" offers a powerful theatrical stimulus to debate about issues relating to extremism and is accompanied by a comprehensive multimedia follow-up package to inform further discussion and lead in good practice. They aim to deliver 110 performances over the next three years. £95,000 (08/09) 
			 Khayaal Theatre Company Khayaal Theatre Company plans to build its capacity for growth and sustainability in order to deliver between 200-250 performances of their two plays "Hearts and Minds" and "Sun and Wind" in schools across the country over the next three years. Both of these plays address the issues of radicalisation and extremism as they manifest themselves in families and communities. £129,541 (08/09) 
			 Muslim Youth Helpline Capacity building for MYH to recruit a Helpline Care Manager to develop the Helpline's support services and extend the reach of its support services to support vulnerable young people at risk of radicalisation in hard to reach communities, such as the Somali and Eastern European Muslim communities. £30,650 (08/09)   £61,888(09/10)   £64,767 (10/11) 
			 Association of Muslim Chaplains in Education (AMCED) AMCED will build its organisational capacity to effectively deliver new services to Muslim chaplains to promote community cohesion and prevent violent extremism. This will involve recruitment and training of new staff, development and launch of their website. £44,400 from CLG (08/09)   £30,000 from DIUS (08/09) 
			 Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) Development of MINAB's operational plan, recruitment of members to the umbrella organisation in time for the first annual general meeting and piloting of minimum standards in four mosques. £116,000 (08/09)   £58,000 (09/10) 
			 Ashram Housing Limited Building the capacity of housing associations and Muslim social housing tenants to tackle violent extremism. This project will deliver training to frontline staff to deliver culturally sensitive services to Muslim tenants and work with Muslim communities to empower them through increased representation on housing boards and resident committees. £50,000 (08/09)   £50,000 (09/10)   £50,000 (10/11) 
			 Dervish Arts Building the organisational capacity of Dervish Arts to market and deliver their arts based workshops with young people and Muslim women. The "Rainbow" workshops engage school pupils through creative arts to explore their identities as British Muslims and promote a positive understanding of Islam. The "Dreams to Reality" workshops offer practical support to Muslim women to empower them to reject violent extremism in their communities £20,000 (08/09) 
			 Faith Matters "Caring for Converts" project - Supporting the vulnerable convert community by establishing a helpline and website for new converts; and providing mentoring and support to converts and their families. £50,000 (08/09)   £50,000 (09/10) 
			 Henna Foundation Building the organisational capacity of the Henna Foundation to extend their work with Muslim families and women in England. Henna will also deliver various community engagement events across England to discuss the role of the family in preventing extremism. £55,000 (08/09)   £35,000 (09/10)   £45,000 (10/11) 
			 Islamic Society of Britain Developing the Islamic Awareness Week website to have a particular focus on schools, teachers and young people. The website will promote a positive understanding of Islam to other communities and have moderated online discussion forums for young people £20,000 (08/09) 
			 Muslim Women's Network UK Developing the infrastructure and sustainability of the Muslim Women's Network UK to provide support and advice to over 200 women's organisations. £20,000 (08/09)   £20,000 (09/10)   £30,000 (10/11) 
			 Sufi Muslim Council Building the organisational capacity of the Sufi Muslim Council in order to work with the Muslim community to prevent radicalisation and build resilience. SMC will expand its organisation to deliver activities across England and will organise cultural events in the community in order to promote discussion around violent extremism. £150,000 (08/09) 
			 The Somali Messenger The project will create a website to provide advice and guidance to the Somali community in the UK. It will focus on providing support for young Somali people and offering them advice around understanding wider UK society, accessing services, obtaining skills and training/employment. Another function of the website will be to promote moderate messages about Islam. £60,000 (08/09) 
			 Ulfah Arts Building the organisational capacity of Ulfah Arts to enable them to deliver arts based projects with young Muslims and Muslim women, which will help them to explore issues around faith and identity and challenge extremist interpretations of Islam. £37,050 (08/09)   £10,000 (09/10)   £20,000 (10/11) 
		
	
	
		
			 Supporting Youth 
			 Organisation Project description Proposed grant 
			 Common Purpose Common Purpose will deliver leadership training courses for younger members of the Muslim community:   • "Your Turn" - a schools programme for year 9 pupils in London, Manchester, Birmingham and in West Yorkshire.   • "Frontrunner" - a programme for young leaders in higher education.   • A customized "Frontrunner" programme for 40 young Muslim leaders who are not in full-time education or who cannot make the dates of the three open programmes.   • "Navigator" - a programme in every region of the UK for first career leaders. £65,000 (08/09) 
			   
			 Local Leagues Limited Programme of sports coaching and local competitions as preventative and diversionary activities for Muslim young people (aged 8-19 years) and engagement of undergraduates with policy makers and decision makers. £79,440 (08/09) 
			 Karimia Institute Develop the work of the Muslim Youth Development Partnership, funded by CLG in 07/08 to train and support 150 volunteer Muslim Youth Leaders over three years. £67,180 (08/09)   £50,000 (09/10)   £50,000 (10/11) 
			 Bradford Police Club for Young People Engagement of young people through workshops and informal classroom settings to examine the relationship between peace, violence, conflict and war with a particular emphasis on questions of applied ethics involving school teachers and youth community workers as trained educators. £41,951 (08/09)   £30,000 (09/10)   £30,000 (10/11) 
			 Muslim Youthwork Foundation Scholarship programme for 10 individuals to undertake a National Youth Association accredited training course to qualify as Muslim youth and community workers. £41,300 (08/09) 
			 UK Race and Europe Network Pilot of a citizenship toolkit resource to support the work of young leaders, youth workers, teachers, Imams and parents which has been developed using CLG funding in 2007/08 £75,072 (08/09) 
			 OneVoice Europe Engagement of young Muslim and Jewish students in a youth leadership development training course to build and promote a consensus for a peaceful resolution to conflicts in the Middle East. £35,000 (08/09) 
			 Changemakers Foundation Continuation of 2007-08 CLG funded project to deliver a youth leadership programme to develop young leaders to become Changemakers and develop and deliver projects in their own communities. £80,000 (08/09) 
			 Nasiha Youth Citizen Capacity Building Project to network young people in higher education to educate and support Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils in mosque schools. £80, 000 (08/09) 
			 Al-Khoei Foundation Supporting the launch of the Young Muslim Leadership/ Ambassadors programme which will equip young people with theological understanding to counter extremist ideologies £30,000 (08/09) 
			 Bold Creative Roll out of the Tagmap TV project across 3 regions. Tagmap TV is an internet based resource tool that encourages debate and discussion amongst young people about issues relating to faith, citizenship and identity. The project will also train 100 young people to become Tagmap Champions. £49,000 (08/09)   £60,000 (09/10)   £70,000 (10/11) 
			 Business in the Community Mosaic Muslim Mentoring Scheme — This programme aims to promote positive messages about being a British Muslim and support young people to raise their aspirations and enhance their sense of belonging in UK society. The scheme will provide role models who will mentor groups of young people. £30,000 (08/09)   £50,000 (09/10) 
			 Citizenship Foundation The project will address issues around the alienation of Muslim youth by engaging them in Youth Engagement Groups. The groups will encourage processes of critical, democratic enquiry in order to address their grievances and help them to engage with the challenges of violent extremism. £20,000 (08/09)   £50,000 (09/10)   £40,000 (10/11) 
			 Ethnic Minority Benevolent Association ASPIRE Project - Using group/family sessions, educational & capacity building workshops, this project aims to develop the knowledge, skills and increase the capacity of young Muslim people so that they may understand violent extremism and prevent it from happening in their locality and the wider community. £40,000 (08/09)   E50,000(09/10)   £50,000 (10/11) 
			 The Prince's Trust The project will provide leadership opportunities for Muslim young people, equipping them with skills to enable them to become positive role models within their communities, and thus promoting positive alternatives to extremist ideas and influences. The Prince's Trust Community Cash Awards scheme will provide opportunities for groups of 14-25 year-olds to design and deliver their own community projects. £7,000 (08/09)   £54,000 (09/10)   £52,000 (10/11) 
			 Young Muslims UK This project will create a network of local, regional and national events that will celebrate the best of British Muslim youth culture and talent and will promote positive alternative activities to young Muslims across England. The events will also create real and virtual spaces where young Muslims can come together to challenge the idea that being Muslim and being British are incompatible. £20,000 (08/09) 
		
	
	
		
			 Supporting Women 
			 Organisation Project description Proposed grant 
			 Faith Matters UK tour of Muslim women role models from the US. Women will be drawn from careers such as TV presenters, researchers, civil servants, business entrepreneurs, civil society organisational heads. £29,775 (08/09)   £29,775 (09/10) 
			 Faith Matters The purpose of this project is to compile a directory of the 100 leading mosques that provide the best access to women. Each mosque will be awarded a rating out of five stars based on criteria developed through women's focus groups. The ultimate aim is to incentivise mosques to improve their engagement with and inclusion of women in all aspects of their work through greater access to recognition and resources from the public sector. £75,350 (08/09) 
			 Henna Foundation The "Joining Hands Against Forced Marriage" project aims to support Muslim women at risk of being forced into marriage and to educate them that Islam actually forbids forced marriage. Henna will adapt the "Joining Hands against Forced Marriage" Campaign to the British context. They will also organise awareness-raising events to create a safe space for debate between young women, parents and other community members about forced marriage. The project also aims to train Muslim women in local communities in public speaking to empower them to use the toolkit on forced marriage. £28,000 (08/09)   £17,525 (09/10)   £23,259 (10/11) 
			 Kali Creating a platform to speak out on radicalisation through drama for Muslim women. The project will develop the women's skills in writing for public performance through a series of workshops. Performances will be held across the country by actors and the writers will subsequently present on their work. £8,431.66 (08/09)   £6,425 (09/10)   £13,300 (10/11) 
			 Somali Family Support Group The Tawjeeh Project will help build a network of Somali women and to develop their understanding of and their participation in wider UK society and how their faith relates to being part of wider society. The project will also provide participants with the interpersonal skills to challenge radical views within their family and the wider community and to support their children to turn away from violent extremism. £20,000 (08/09)   £15,645 (09/10)   £33,780 (10/11) 
			 Three Faiths Forum Young Muslim women (ages 13-18) from traditional Islamic girls' schools will use exploration of clothing and fashion to construct their own sense of Britishness and belonging, whilst remaining proud and strong in their faith. They will also develop ways to help their peers become resilient to distorted, limiting views on the expected role and behaviour codes of women, by exposing them to Islamic Scholarship. £5,000 (08/09)   £15,000 (09/10) 
			 Timebank (One20) A two-year mentoring project in London & Manchester to empower Muslim women so that they are equipped with the practical tools needed to play a full and active role in society and lead on challenging extremism within their families and communities. This programme will match 60 older women with 60 younger women in one-to-one mentoring relationships. £60,000 (08/09)   £50,000 (09/10) 
			 Local Government Yorkshire and Humber The development of a regional Muslim women's network to increase and enhance the representation of Muslim women among decision making bodies in the region, through leadership training and mentoring. It is intended that this project model will be replicated in other regions. £29,300 (08/09)   £30,000 (09/10)   £25,000 (10/11) 
		
	
	
		
			 Supporting Faith Leaders 
			 Organisation Project description Proposed grant 
			 Luqman Institute Extension of the pilot Imam training programme funded in 2007-08 to develop training materials and deliver courses to 20 senior imams over an 8-month period £80,006 (08/09) 
			 Psychology and Religion Research Group, University of Cambridge Imam Training Course to equip young, newly qualified Imams to engage with British culture and humanitarian values, and to find parallel values within the Qur'an. £60,000 from CLG (08/09)   £60,000 from DIUS (08/09) 
			 Demos "Futures thinking" workshops for Muslim young people and Imams to explore the "future" of their interaction in the mosque. The workshops will be delivered in partnership with MINAB. £65,624 (08/09) 
			 Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre Projects and education programme to promote a positive Islamic identity for Muslims in Britain that will create a future generation of British Muslim faith leaders who understand British society and also have knowledge of relevant and robust Islamic teachings and scholarship. £50,000 (08/09)   £50,000 (09/10) 
			 The Dialogue Society To encourage, equip and empower Muslim community organisations, leaders, imams and youth workers in the practice of interfaith and intercultural dialogue, through a 6 element project emphasising dialogue in Islam. This will include DIY dialogue event manuals, sermons for Muslim faith leaders and a website. £33,850 (08/09)   £32,700 (09/10) 
			 Urban Nexus Beacon Mosques project. Building the capacity of mosques in order to create "beacon mosques", through the provision of training, building skills of imams, trainee imams, chairs and secretaries of the organisations to build their knowledge and capacity to build resilience to extremist ideologies. £7,800 (08/09)   £94,400 (09/10)   £72,100 (10/11) 
			 Rahabar Trust (with the Urdu Times) Increasing the number of Muslim faith leaders with skills to act as speakers, spokespersons and role models in society and in the media. £10,000 (08/09)   £12,500 (09/10)   £12,500 (10/11) 
			 League of British Muslims Using regional Communication Development Programmes to build the capacity of Muslim faith and community leaders to relate to young people more effectively and to focus on issues that are relevant to them as young British Muslims. £10,000 (08/09)   £25,000 (09/10)   £25,000 (10/11) 
		
	
	
		
			 Local Forums Against Extremism And Islamophobia 
			 Organisation Project description Proposed grant 
			 Gateshead Interfaith Forum Gateshead Interfaith Forum will work closely with Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council to set up a Gateshead forum against extremism and Islamophobia, which will be run as a pilot in 08/09. £9,925 (08/09) 
			 Northampton Race Equality Council The project will establish a local forum across Northamptonshire with representation from the diversity of Muslim groups across the county. £14,800 (08/09) 
			 Chiltern District Council Chiltern's Community Cohesion and Prevent Forum will work with local Muslim groups to stimulate integration and improve understanding of the local Muslim community as well as celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the area. The group will also seek to involve the wider community by organising a major event in the community with high level speakers promoting peace and harmony and positive discussion around violent extremism. £3,000 (08/09) 
			 Halton Borough Council The project will work across the two local authority areas of Warrington and Halton to promote awareness via local mosques, local Muslim women's groups, Muslim youth initiatives and Local Islamic trusts. The project will create a Halton/Warrington community group, which will address issues around violent extremism. The group will comprise local partners, such as the Police and the CDRP and local Muslim communities. £3,000 (08/09) 
			 Wokingham Borough Council The project's main aim will be to promote a wider understanding of mainstream Muslim theology, understanding and respect. Wokingham Borough Council will establish a Women Against Violent Extremism Forum. The forum will be made up of women from all communities and faiths, to include Muslim women in particular. The purpose of the group will be to promote a safe environment for debate around the issues of violent extremism, Islamophobia, identity and community cohesion. £3,000 (08/09) 
			 Muslim Welfare Association, Derbyshire The project aims to provide opportunities for Muslims to come together, in safe forums, to explore the issues they are facing as Muslims living in the north-east of Derbyshire. This will be done by facilitating regular forum meetings for young Muslims, Muslim women and Muslim elders. Each of the forums will provide an opportunity and a safe environment for the target groups to meet regularly to share common cultural practices and life experiences as law-abiding British Muslim citizens. Also, the forum meetings will enable group participants to provide mutual support and share concerns they may have regarding any potential extremist activities/ideas in the local area. £3,000 (09/10)

Counter-Terrorism Act

Baroness Neville-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they have given supervisory authorities or bodies in drawing up sector guidance for the purposes of paragraphs 25(3) and 30(3) of Schedule 7 to the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008; and whether they will place a copy of any such guidance in the Library of the House.

Lord Myners: HM Treasury has worked with the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG) to assist in drafting guidance on Directions under the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008.
	The guidance has been published by the JMLSG on its website: www.jmlsq.orq.uk/ and has been formally submitted to HM Treasury for approval.
	HM Treasury has also worked with HM Revenue and Customs to assist in drafting Guidance for Money Service Businesses on complying with Directions issued under the Counter Terrorism Act 2008 Schedule 7. This is due to be published shortly.
	If HM Treasury makes a direction under Schedule 7 of the Counter-Terrorism Act it will issue any necessary further guidance.

Crime: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Bach on 2 April (WA 260) concerning the use of two counsel in Northern Irish courts, when the results from the related review will be published.

Lord Bach: It is anticipated that a consultation paper on the use of two counsel will issue in September 2009.

Department for International Development: DEL

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 9 March (WA 200), what proportion of the £1 million transfer to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was originally planned to come from the Department for International Development's budget.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The Department for International Development's transfer of £1 million to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for the Returns and Reintegration Fund (RRF) was within the planned allocation for the RRF for 2008/09.

Department for International Development: DEL

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Tunnicliffe on 9 March (WA 201) on the Department for International Development's departmental expenditure limit, in which countries and for what particular projects the £1 million will be used; and why, given the Department for International Development's expertise in developing countries, the scheme is being administered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The Department for International Development's funding for International Inspiration is being used across all countries selected for funding from the initiative. To date this includes: India, Brazil, Palau, Azerbaijan, Zambia, Trinidad and Tobago, Bangladesh, Ghana, Mozambique and Jordan. The programme supports projects that directly engage young people in sport, and supports local sports clubs and training programmes for sport coaches. It also works to engage governments to create a sustainable sports policy.
	DfID does not manage the programme directly because it is not a DfID initiative. It was initiated as a result of the Olympic bid in Singapore 2005 so it is co-ordinated by the UK Government's Olympic Executive. Funding is routed through the Department for Culture Media and Sport, but the programme is managed by UK Sport, Unicef and the British Council all of whom have experience in developing and delivering international development projects.
	DfID decided to provide funding to the programme because of its focus on using sport to transform the lives of children and young people, in schools and communities in developing countries.

Department of Health: Arts/Health Group

Lord Howarth of Newport: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the undertakings by the Secretary of State for Health in his speech at the Wallace Collection on 16 September 2008 and in his letter to Lord Howarth of Newport of 8 October 2008, what terms of reference have been established for the Arts/Health Group in the Department of Health; what is its membership; how often it has met since 16 September 2008; what policy issues it has examined; and whether it is willing and available to receive representations from and to meet outside individuals and organisations; and
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Professor Louis Appleby has taken up his appointment as the Department of Health's lead official on arts and health; and whether he or the Arts/Health Group has offered policy advice to Ministers; and
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made by the cross-departmental network in considering outstanding recommendations of the 2007 Report of the Review of the Arts and Health Working Group; and
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their objectives and procedures in the arts and health field.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The objectives of the department's Arts in Health group, which form the terms of reference, are to:
	Develop a strategy for delivering the recommendations of the 2007 Report of the Review of Arts in Health Working Group;Develop further links with other government departments and agencies including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Arts Council England; andHelp maintain the profile of arts and healthcare across the National Health Service and for wider public health.
	The department's Arts in Health group was established to co-ordinate internal arts in health activity and to deliver the stated objectives. Its remit as a group is not to receive representations from and to meet outside individuals and organisations. Individual members of the group, however, have met with several outside individuals and organisations. Further consideration is being given to how the department can communicate with the many arts in health organisations around the country who would like to make representations.
	Membership of the department's Arts in Health group currently comprises representatives from the programmes as listed in the following table.
	
		
			 Membership of the Department's Arts in Health group 
			 Allied Health Professions 
			 Care Services Improvement Partnership 
			 Equality and Human Rights 
			 Healthcare Associated Infection and Cleanliness 
			 Healthcare Associated Infection and Cleanliness (Patient Environment) 
			 Nursing 
			 Patient and Public Empowerment 
			 Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnerships - Older People and Dementia, 
			 "Putting People First", Mental Health 
			 Third Sector Partnership team 
			 Vascular Programme (Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, Renal) 
			 Work - Nutrition - Physical Activity - Children and Young People 
		
	
	The department's Arts in Health group has met once since 16 September 2008. At that meeting on 10 November 2008 the issue of embedding arts and health into department's policy was discussed. While the department supports several arts-related programmes, the group recognised that further work needs to be done to establish arts and health firmly within departmental policy. There has been difficulty in identifying a single clinical lead to add legitimacy to the work and there have been no dedicated resources available. Since the November meeting, funding has been secured for 2009-2010 to provide expert advice to support the development of the department's internal structure in relation to arts and health.
	Professor Louis Appleby and Professor Rob Smith have been appointed the department's joint leads on arts in health. Several briefings have been offered to Ministers relating to Arts in Health matters, however, there have been no direct policy submissions.
	Progress on the eight recommendations of the 2007 Report of the Review of Arts and Health Working Group include the following.
	Recommendation 1
	The Secretary of State for Health made a statement that the arts have a key role to play in healthcare in his speech at the Wallace Collection in London on 16 September 2009. Since resources have been made available for 2009-2010, the department is now in a position to consider how arts and health can be included more regularly in its policies, and whether systems and incentives should be adapted to reflect the contribution of arts and health.
	Recommendation 2
	The joint publication of the department and Health and Arts Council England A prospectus for arts and health was published in 2007 and this has already been placed in the Library.
	Recommendation 4
	The department has had initial discussions with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and other interested organisations in relation to identifying funding sources and identifying how arts and health can contribute more fully to health and wider government objectives.
	Recommendation 8
	The department currently encourages NHS organisations proposing new build and refurbishment schemes to build in provision for arts and health through its existing guidance and the capital investment process.
	The funding secured for 2009-2010 will enable the department to call on specific arts and health expertise, which will support the development of objectives over the coming year relating to both internal policy development and external liaison with stakeholders and co-ordination of work in the expanding field of arts and health.

Disabled Children

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration Ministers at the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families have given to the implications for other disabled children of the handling by statutory agencies of the case of Henry Thomson who, having been diagnosed as autistic, had the assessment overturned by the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust in Essex; and what action they are taking.

Lord Darzi of Denham: I understand the trust has been in recent communication with the family and has apologised. They have now reviewed their procedures in the light of national guidelines and the need to continue to develop the best possible local practices. Disabled children receive services based not on their diagnoses, but on their needs as assessed by a multi-disciplinary team.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 31 March (WA 220—21), whether it is usual for staff satisfaction surveys to be made public by organisations in receipt of public funds.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Some organisations in receipt of public funds have chosen not to make public their staff satisfaction survey results. There is no rule that organisations should do so, nor that such surveys are conducted.

Gypsies and Travellers

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the report of the Equality and Human Rights Commission on Gypsies and Travellers' accommodation needs, published on 18 March.

Baroness Andrews: The Government welcome the report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. It highlights the continuing need for local authorities to press forward on work to identify appropriate locations for authorised sites for Gypsies and Travellers. The delivery of authorised sites in appropriate locations will help to reduce the number of unauthorised sites and the tensions that these can cause with the settled community, as well as reduce the need for, and cost of, enforcement action.

Health: Dementia

Lord Morris of Manchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department of Health is considering the appointment of a national clinical director for dementia.

Lord Darzi of Denham: National leadership for the delivery of the strategy will continue to come from the department. We are looking at the case for a national clinical director for dementia.

Health: Former UK Residents

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries provide annual payments to fund health treatment of those in the United Kingdom who previously worked in that country; under what arrangements; and how the amounts paid are calculated.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Under European Union Regulations (1408/71), European Economic Area (EEA) member states reimburse each other for the cost of providing healthcare to each other's tourists, workers, pensioners and the dependants of both groups. Under these regulations, payments are made on either an actual or average cost basis, depending on the category of the individual. The following table shows the breakdown of claims by the United Kingdom against each member state in 2007-08.
	There are no similar arrangements with regard to non-EEA countries.
	
		
			 EEA Medical Costs: Claims by UK Against EEA Member States 2007-08 
			 Country Actual Costs Claims Lump Sum Claims Total 
			 Austria £486,000 £224,000 £710,000 
			 Belgium £2,528,000 £392,000 £2,920,000 
			 Bulgaria £0 £0 £0 
			 Cyprus £0 £0 £0 
			 Czech Republic £0 £0 £0 
			 Denmark (Waiver) £0 £0 £0 
			 Estonia (Waiver) (2) £0 £0 £0 
			 Finland (3) £0 £0 £0 
			 France £5,306,000 £281,000 £5,586,000 
			 Germany £16,000 £1,261,000 £1,277,000 
			 Greece £78,000 £12,000 £90,000 
			 Hungary (Waiver) (3) £11,000 £0 £11,000 
			 Iceland £0 £0 £0 
			 Ireland £9,413,000 £12,211,000 £21,624,000 
			 Italy £1,203,000 £4,091,000 £5,294,000 
			 Latvia £0 £0 £0 
			 Liechtenstein £0 £0 £0 
			 Lithuania £0 £0 £0 
			 Luxembourg (4) £0 £0 £0 
			 Malta (Waiver) (3) £0 £0 £0 
			 Netherlands £1,251,000 £1,554,000 £2,805,000 
			 Norway (Waiver) (3) £0 £0 £0 
			 Poland £0 £0 £0 
			 Portugal £43,000 £10,000 £54,000 
			 Romania £0 £0 £0 
			 Slovakia £0 £0 £0 
			 Slovenia £236,000 £0 £236,000 
			 Spain £4,061,000 £55,000 £4,116,000 
			 Sweden £899,000 £260,000 £1,159,000 
			 Switzerland £0 £67,000 £67,000 
			  £25,500,000 £20,400,000 £45,900,000 
		
	
	Notes
	(1) Source: 2007-08 Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) exercise. Totals are based on estimates of the costs of European Economic Area (EEA) healthcare claims made annually for the purposes of provisions made in the Department of Health accounts in accordance with Treasury resource accounting rules.
	(2) excepting Article 22.1c (patient referral) & Article 55.1c (industrial injury) claims.
	(3) excepting Article 22.1 c (patient referral) claims.
	(4) Previously waiver, regulations apply from 30 June 2008
	(5) Totals for individual countries are rounded to nearest £1,000.
	(6) Sub totals may not add up to rounded overall totals due to rounding

Houses of Parliament: Select Committees

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 20 April (WA 346), on how many occasions and in what circumstances Ministers of the Ministry of Justice and its predecessors have refused to give evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees during the past five years.

Lord Bach: Ministers of the Ministry of Justice, and of the former Department for Constitutional Affairs, take the responsibility of being accountable to Parliament through Select Committees very seriously. We have no record of any occasion when a Minister refused to give evidence in the past five years.

Housing

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many public house-building schemes commenced in 2008; how many completions were effected; and how many would have been needed in each category to make an impact in reducing the number of homeless people.

Baroness Andrews: Details on the number of public (local authority) housing schemes are not held centrally.
	However in calendar year 2008, there were 395 local authority housing starts, and 450 local authority housing completions.
	Source: New build starts and completions from P2 quarterly returns submitted by local authorities to Communities and Local Government.
	Although no formal assessment has been made as to the direct effect of local authority house building on homelessness, all local authorities have a homelessness strategy in place to tackle and prevent homelessness. The latest set of homelessness statistics (October - December 2008) show that homelessness acceptances are down by 21 against the same quarter in 2007 and those being placed in temporary accommodation had also reduced by 15 per cent over the same period. The Government have provided over £150 million of homelessness grant from 2008-2011 to local authorities to tackle and prevent homelessness effectively, the biggest ever cash injection provided for homelessness services.
	Although RSLs are private sector bodies, many receive grant through the Homes and Communities Agency to provide affordable homes for either social rented or low-cost home ownership. Since the early 1990s RSLs have been the major providers of low-cost, sub-market, rented housing and the main developers of new social housing for people on low incomes and in housing need.

Housing

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Baroness Andrews on 20 April (HL2707—2711), what was the allocation of the regional housing pot budget in each region in (a) 2008—09 and (b) 2009—10 to (1) the National Affordable Housing Programme, (2) the Local Authority Decent Homes Programme, and (3) the Private Sector Renewal and Regeneration Programme;
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Baroness Andrews on 20 April (HL2707—2711), what was the allocation to each local housing authority in 2008—09 of (a) the Local Authority Decent Homes Programme, and (b) the Private Sector Renewal and Regeneration Programme.

Baroness Andrews: The regional housing pot budget for 2008-09 and 2009-10 was allocated to the regions as follows:
	
		
			 2008/09 (£m) Affordable housing LA decent homes Private sector renewal Total 
			 North Yorkshire 52 17 23 92 
			 Yorkshire & Humber 99 27 54 180 
			 East Midlands 108 18 25 151 
			 East of England 229 13 10 252 
			 London 1195 150 44 1389 
			 South East 405 11 20 436 
			 South West 229 9 19 257 
			 West Midlands 144 23 49 216 
			 North West 169 5 102 276 
			 TOTAL 2629 272 347 3249 
		
	
	Allocations for each region in 2009/10 are indicative and are subject to change following announcements in the recent Budget and the performance of regions.
	
		
			 2009/10 (£m) National Affordable Housing programme LA Decent Homes Private Sector Renewal Total 
			 North East 72 17 23 112 
			 Yorkshire & Humber 140 27 54 221 
			 East Midlands 138 17 30 185 
			 East of England 319 13 15 347 
			 London 1604 145 87 1636 
			 South East 547 11 30 588 
			 South West 321 9 27 357 
			 West Midlands 202 23 51 276 
			 North West 229 4 108 341 
			 TOTAL 3571 266 426 4263 
		
	
	The table below shows the individual allocations to each local authority for Private Sector Renewal (PSR) and LA Decent Homes (LADH) for 2008/09.
	
		
			 Local Authority PSR Allocation LADH Allocation 
			 Adur £0 £236,000 
			 Allerdale £1,797,000 £0 
			 Alnwick District Council £0 £200,000 
			 Amber Valley £400,000 £0 
			 Arun £230,000 £29,000 
			 Ashfield £1,000,000 £0 
			 Ashford £0 £289,000 
			 Babergh £146,600 £550,000 
			 Barnet £6,705,317 £2,208,000 
			 Barnsley £5,490,000 £473,000 
			 Barrow £2,570,000 £154,000 
			 Basildon £336,200 £1,149,000 
			 Bassetlaw £840,000 £440,000 
			 Bath UA £577,000 £0 
			 Bedford £317,000 £0 
			 Birmingham £21,500,000 £10,703,000 
			 Blaby £150,000 £0 
			 Blackburn £3,508,000 £0 
			 Blackpool £3,140,000 £306,000 
			 Blyth Valley £1,896,000 £200,000 
			 Bolsover £700,000 £239,000 
			 Bolton £5,694,000 £0 
			 Boston £570,000 £0 
			 Bournemouth £1,133,000 £0 
			 Bradford £25,960,000 £0 
			 Braintree £193,200 £0 
			 Breckland £216,400 £0 
			 Brent (LB) £2,035,000 £0 
			 Brentwood £97,000 £345,000 
			 Bridgnorth £200,000 £0 
			 Brighton & Hove £5,173,000 £1,230,000 
			 Bristol £1,105,000 £4,000,000 
			 Broadland £165,500 £0 
			 Bromsgrove £63,000 £0 
			 Broxbourne £111,700 £0 
			 Broxtowe £600,000 £0 
			 Burnley £2,462,000 £0 
			 Bury £801,000 £0 
			 Cambridge £159,200 £0 
			 Camden £0 £10,643,000 
			 Cannock Chase £56,000 £420,000 
			 Canterbury £0 £324,000 
			 Caradon £340,000 £0 
			 Carlisle £1,255,000 £0 
			 Carrick £481,000 £257,000 
			 Castle Point £ 172,300 £0 
			 Charnwood £155,000 £0 
			 Chelmsford £175,500 £0 
			 Cheltenham £445,000 £0 
			 Chester £446,000 £0 
			 Chesterfield £561,000 £900,000 
			 Chorley £312,000 £0 
			 Christchurch £96,000 £0 
			 City of London £0 £40,000 
			 City of York £876,000 £0 
			 Colchester £229,300 £0 
			 Congleton £242,900 £0 
			 Copeland £1,315,000 £0 
			 Corby £250,000 £0 
			 Cotswold £307,000 £0 
			 Coventry £1,542,000 £0 
			 Craven £642,000 £0 
			 Crewe £495,600 £0 
			 Croydon £3,000,000 £3,256,000 
			 Dacorum £155,800 £0 
			 Daventry £44,000 £0 
			 Derby £4,490,000 £0 
			 Derbyshire Dale £590,000 £0 
			 Doncaster £2,222,000 £3,200,000 
			 Dover £0 £187,000 
			 Dudley £810,000 £3,212,000 
			 Durham City Council £0 £248,000 
			 Ealing £0 £5,900,000 
			 Easington DC £3,874,000 £1,000,000 
			 East Cambridge £89,600 £0 
			 East Devon £419,000 £0 
			 East Dorset £165,000 £0 
			 East Hertford £ 124,600 £0 
			 East Lindsey £465,000 £0 
			 East Riding £2,998,000 £668,000 
			 East Stafford £554,000 £0 
			 Eden £238,700 £0 
			 Ellesmere Port E186,000 £275,000 
			 Elmbridge £265,000 £0 
			 Enfield £0 £4,797,000 
			 Epping Forest £216,800 £0 
			 Erewash £450,000 £0 
			 Exeter £583,000 0 
			 Fareham £0 £123,000 
			 Fenland £190,200 £0 
			 Forest Heath £79,200 £0 
			 Forest of Dean £335,000 £0 
			 Fylde £276,500 £0 
			 Gateshead Council £0 £2,422,000 
			 Gedling £183,000 £606,000 
			 Gloucester £639,000 £0 
			 Gravesham £0 £403,000 
			 Great Yarmouth £309,400 £300,000 
			 Greenwich (LB) £236,000 £6,742,000 
			 Hackney £0 £17,700,000 
			 Halton £622,000 £0 
			 Hambleton £351,000 £0 
			 Hammersmith £6,356,833 £6,072,000 
			 Harborough £250,000 £0 
			 Haringey £0 £6,233,000 
			 Harlow £116,800 £0 
			 Harrogate £486,000 £930,000 
			 Harrow £0 £2,725,000 
			 Havering £0 £2,114,000 
			 Herefordshire £734,000 £0 
			 Hertsmere £114,400 £0 
			 High Peak £425,000 £0 
			 Hillingdon (LB) £1,775,000 £0 
			 Hull £0 £5,505,000 
			 Huntingdonshire £162,400 £0 
			 Hyndburn £2,242,000 £0 
			 Ipswich £317,000 £1,314,000 
			 Isles of Scilly £4,000 £22,000 
			 Islington £0 £9,112,000 
			 Kennet £155,000 £0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea £0 £5,100,000 
			 Kerrier £657,000 £0 
			 Kettering £1,540,000 £0 
			 Kings Lynn £351,400 £0 
			 Kingston U Hull £1,537,000 £0 
			 Kingston upon Thames £0 £1,439,000 
			 Knowsley £2,984,000 £0 
			 Lambeth £0 £8,757,000 
			 Lancaster £1,433,000 £217,000 
			 Leeds £0 £7,600,000 
			 Leicester £2,500,000 £5,500,000 
			 Lewes £0 £259,000 
			 Lewisham £0 £2,697,000 
			 Lichfield £106,000 £0 
			 Lincoln £275,000 £1,020,000 
			 Liverpool £14,042,000 £0 
			 Luton £1,000, 800 £1,756,000 
			 Macclesfield £43 5,400 £0 
			 Maldon £102,400 £0 
			 Malvern Hills £ 139,000 £0 
			 Manchester £15,481,000 £2,540,000 
			 Mansfield £2,000,000 £0 
			 Medway Council £0 £735,000 
			 Melton £400,000 £300,000 
			 Mendip £384,000 £0 
			 Merton £0 £2,090,000 
			 Mid Beds £106,400 £0 
			 Mid Devon £282,000 £0 
			 Mid Suffolk £104,600 £500,000 
			 Milton Keynes £0 £832,000 
			 NE Derbyshire £250,000 £0 
			 Newark £464,000 £374,000 
			 Newcastle City Council £0 £6,304,000 
			 Newcastle-u-Lyme £1,222,000 £0 
			 Newham £8,414,115 £16,410,000 
			 North Cornwall £3 84,000 £463,000 
			 North East Derbyshire £0 £647,000 
			 North Devon £466,000 £0 
			 North Dorset £186,000 £0 
			 North East Linc £2,368,000 £0 
			 North Hertford £162,000 £0 
			 North Kesteven £400,000 £0 
			 North Lincoln £1,414,000 £0 
			 North Norfolk £276,400 £0 
			 North Shropshire £228,000 £0 
			 North Somerset £714,000 £0 
			 North Tyneside Council £0 £2,055,000 
			 North Warwick £120,000 £400,000 
			 North Wiltshire £272,000 £0 
			 Northampton £700,000 £500,000 
			 Norwich £396,300 £2,300,000 
			 Nottingham £2,000,000 £5,600,000 
			 Nuneaton £304,000 £0 
			 NW Leicester £400,000 £0 
			 Oadby & Wigston £50,000 £110,000 
			 Oldham £3,628,000 £0 
			 Oswestry £129,000 £32,000 
			 Oxford £0 £546,000 
			 Pendle £2,732,000 £0 
			 Penwith £697,000 £0 
			 Peterborough £348,000 £0 
			 Plymouth £1,045,000 £2,076,000 
			 Poole £255,000 £727,000 
			 Portsmouth £2,495,000 £1,913,000 
			 Preston £2,033,000 £0 
			 Purbeck £154,000 £0 
			 Reading £0 £26,000 
			 Redditch £129,000 £0 
			 Reigate and Banstead £197,000 £0 
			 Restormel £522,000 £0 
			 Ribble Valley £200,000 £0 
			 Richmondshire £236,000 £80,000 
			 Rochdale £3,180,000 £0 
			 Rochford £96,800 £0 
			 Rossendale £552,000 £0 
			 Rotherham £2,685,000 £1,264,000 
			 Rugby £136,000 £0 
			 Rushcliffe £89,000 £0 
			 Rutland £77,000 £231,000 
			 Ryedale £356,000 £0 
			 Salford £4,646,000 £141,000 
			 Salisbury £403,000 £0 
			 Sandwell £2,917,000 £1,910,000 
			 Scarborough £246,000 £0 
			 Sedgefield Borough Council £0 £213,000 
			 Sedgemoor £182,000 £661,000 
			 Sefton £4,985,000 £0 
			 Selby £286,000 £220,000 
			 Sheffield £5,918,000 £6,300,000 
			 Shepway £0 £260,000 
			 Shrewsbury £194,000 £0 
			 Solihull £3,009,000 £0 
			 South Beds £178,200 £0 
			 South Cambridge £117,300 £0 
			 South Derby £642,000 £0 
			 South Gloucs £638,000 £0 
			 South Hams £333,000 £0 
			 South Holland £322,000 £506,000 
			 South Kesteven £490,000 £545,000 
			 South Lakeland £532,000 £0 
			 South Norfolk £161,800 £0 
			 South Northants £60,000 £0 
			 South Ribble £261,800 £0 
			 South Shropshire £200,000 £0 
			 South Somerset £444,000 £0 
			 South Stafford £20,000 £0 
			 South Tyneside £7,871,000 £2,326,000 
			 Southampton £1,881,000 £1,496,000 
			 Southend-on-Sea £498,700 £1,000,000 
			 Southwark £4,915,625 £12,526,000 
			 St Albans £144,400 £918,000 
			 St Edmundsbury £154,900 £0 
			 St Helens £2,728,000 £0 
			 Stafford £173,000 £0 
			 Staffs Moorland £293,000 £0 
			 Stevenage £117,400 £563,000 
			 Stockport £649,600 £754,000 
			 Stockton £9,252,000 £1,210,000 
			 Stoke-on-Trent £5,371,000 £3,199,000 
			 Stratford £171,000 £0 
			 Stroud £308,000 £0 
			 Suffolk Coastal £160,600 £0 
			 Sunderland £129,000 £0 
			 Sutton (LB) £194,110 £l,244,000 
			 Swindon £399,000 £500,000 
			 Tame side £1,771,000 £0 
			 Tamworth £58,000 £480,000 
			 Taunton Deane £424,000 £620,000 
			 Teignbridge £513,000 £0 
			 Telford £1,781,000 £0 
			 Tendring £427,200 £671,000 
			 Tewkesbury £147,000 £0 
			 Thanet £4,444,000 £1,703,000 
			 Three Rivers £89,000 £0 
			 Thurrock £291,800 £1,354,000 
			 Tonbridge £2,438,000 £0 
			 Torbay £689,000 £0 
			 Torridge £323,000 £0 
			 Tower Hamlets £0 £15,500,000 
			 Trafford £1,059,800 £0 
			 Uttlesford £74,000 £0 
			 Vale Royal £457,000 £0 
			 Wakefield £22,000 £0 
			 Walsall £3,328,000 £0 
			 Waltham Forest £0 £6,680,000 
			 Wandsworth £4,000,000 £0 
			 Warrington £494,000 £283,000 
			 Warwick £167,000 £0 
			 Watford £157,300 £0 
			 Waveney £352,500 £0 
			 Wealden £0 £334,000 
			 Wear Valley District Council £0 £800,000 
			 Wellingborough £150,000 £0 
			 Welwyn Hatfield £113,700 £0 
			 West Devon £251,000 £0 
			 West Dorset £316,000 £0 
			 West Lancashire £511,700 £0 
			 West Lindsey £550,000 £0 
			 West Somerset £288,000 £0 
			 West Wiltshire £258,000 £0 
			 Westminster (LB) £6,468,000 £0 
			 Weymouth £282,000 £0 
			 Wigan £4,059,000 £0 
			 Windsor £2,952,000 £0 
			 Wirral £5,121,000 £0 
			 Wolverhampton £2,833,000 £2,700,000 
			 Worcester £192,000 £0 
			 Wychavon £156,000 £0 
			 Wyre £750,000 £0 
			 Wyre Forest £269,000 £0 
			 York £0 £1,000,000 
			 TOTALS £347,386,000 £272,418,000

Housing

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they needed the permission of the European Commission before implementing the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme allowing homeowners to defer 70 per cent of interest payments on their mortgages for a maximum period of two years.

Baroness Andrews: The EC Treaty provides that a member state must not put a proposed state aid measure into effect until the Commission has made a decision approving the aid. Under the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme, the Government give a guarantee to lenders which has the potential to distort competition. The Commission approved the aid on 20 April 2009.

Iraq: Foetal Abnormalities

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what reports they have received concerning the rise in foetal abnormalities in Fallujah.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The Department for International Development (DfID) has not received specific reports concerning a rise in foetal abnormalities in Fallujah, although we are aware of some reports of a rise in foetal abnormalities in recent years in Iraq. Due to the unstable security situation and consequent constraints on access by aid agencies to affected populations, there is currently no reliable independent data on this.

Iraq: Gay People

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 22 April (HL2772), to what extent they take into consideration reports of the persecution of gay men and women when deciding to return Iraqi individuals with no right to stay in the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: The UK Border Agency continually monitors the situation in all asylum intake countries, gathering information from a wide range of recognised and respected sources including governmental and non-governmental organisation and media reports. No credible reports of mistreatment will be ignored.
	Asylum and human rights decision makers take full account of this information when deciding whether an individual would be at risk on return to their country of origin and therefore whether they are in need of international protection.
	The UK Border Agency will only seek to enforce the return of individuals who do not need such protection.

Legal Aid

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the costs of Christopher Donaldson, who brought an action for judicial review when prohibited from wearing an Easter Lily in prison common areas, are being met through legal aid; if so, which body authorised the funding; under what criteria; and how many counsel were engaged on his behalf.

Lord Bach: The Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission is responsible for determining. applications for civil legal aid in Northern Ireland and does so in accordance with the provisions of the Legal Aid, Advice and Assistance (Northern Ireland) Order 1981. The applicant in this case was in receipt of legal aid and one counsel was engaged on his behalf.

Licensing Act

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, further to the Written Answer by Lord Carter of Barnes on 1 April (WA 242), they (a) consider that the application of the Licensing Act 2003 to music and dance events is uniform, and (b) intend to clarify the definitions of regulated entertainment within the Licensing Act 2003.

Lord Carter of Barnes: The application of the Licensing Act 2003 (the Act) is a matter for licensing authorities in the first instance. Where licensing authorities are required to make decisions on the application of the regime to particular events, they have to take into account the specific circumstances of each case, with a view to promoting the licensing objectives. This means that the application of the Act to music and dance will not necessarily be uniform in all circumstances. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has no current plans to amend either the definitions of regulated entertainment within the Act or the relevant sections of the guidance issued under Section 182 of the Act.

Mental Health: Northern Ireland

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Bamford Review of mental health has yet reported; and, if not, when its report is expected.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Responsibility for health service issues in Northern Ireland, including the Bamford Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability, rests with the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Metal Detection

Lord Redesdale: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Natural England about the advice Natural England provides to land owners who apply for permission to hold metal detecting rallies under those Entry Level Stewardship agreements that have been renewed since October 2008; and what advice Natural England are providing to land owners as a result.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: No recent discussions have been held with Natural England about the advice they provide to landowners who apply for permission to hold metal detecting rallies under those agreements that have been renewed into Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) since October 2008.
	Natural England issues comprehensive advice on metal detecting on its website, together with advice in the ELS handbook. Natural England requires twelve weeks' advance notification for large-scale events.
	For agreements starting since October 2008, the ELS handbook advises that with the exception of Scheduled Monuments, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), and known archaeological sites under grassland, metal detecting is allowed on land within an ELS agreement provided this is undertaken in accordance with the best principles contained in the latest version of the Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales, and that all finds are reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Muslims

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they have provided to the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board.

Baroness Andrews: The Department for Communities and Local Government has provided funding to the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) to enable the development of a consistent set of standards for mosques across the country in order to improve their services and work with communities. This funding is as follows: £75,600 in 2007-08; £116,000 in 2008-09; and £58,000 in 2009-10.

NHS: Allergy Services

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the level of funding identified and required to support the development of allergy services in the pilot area of north west England.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding has been committed by Primary Care Trusts in north west England to support the development of allergy services in that pilot area.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what contribution the development of the Manchester Academic Health Services Centre will make to their pilot allergy project in north west England.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how their pilot allergy project in north west England will address primary care provision, education and training.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Department provided £60,000 in 2008-09 to support a dedicated project manager to take forward the proposed improvements in allergy service provision in north-west England. This resource will also be used to support the official launch of the North West Allergy Network in autumn 2009. Further resources to progress work are currently under consideration by the department.
	In 2008-09 north-west primary care trusts (PCTs) provided £110,000 to University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust for the part-year appointment of a full-time consultant adult allergist with additional nursing and other support staff. A further £115,000 was allocated in 2009-10 to account for the full-year effect of these appointments. A total of £256,000 has been allocated in 2009-10 to Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust and Central Manchester University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (£128,000 each) for the part-year appointment of full-time consultant paediatric allergists, nursing and other support staff. North-west PCTs are currently considering how to develop a means by which allergy services can be developed, supported and sustained through a tariff based approach.
	The Manchester Academic Health Services Centre (MAHSC) is a collaboration between the NHS and the University of Manchester and will help drive improvements in the quality of healthcare, including in allergy services. Academic allergists, who are world leaders in their field of expertise, will play a key leadership role in the north-west pilot allergy project in education, training and research. They will also support the development of standards and monitoring mechanisms, working with clinical colleagues, for allergy service providers within the north-west project.
	The north-west regional model for the provision of allergy services will involve the development of agreed regional protocols for the referral and management of services in primary, secondary and tertiary care. In addition, NHS Manchester, the lead PCT for the pilot, has started work to review the opportunities for service design in primary care to improve access, experience and outcomes for patients with allergies.

NHS: Pharmaceutical Services

Earl Howe: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 1 April (WA 245), when they expect to complete the initial discussion stage of the proposals to introduce generic substitution by pharmacists of branded medicines prescribed under the National Health Service.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government in connection with their proposals for generic substitution by pharmacists of branded medicines prescribed under the National Health Service, (a) what method they will use to assess which categories of medicines should, on clinical grounds, be excluded from the scope of the proposals; (b) by what means prescribers will be enabled to opt out of generic substitution; and (c) what safeguards will be put in place under the rules of the generic substitution scheme to ensure that clinical judgment is not overridden.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Initial discussions with key stakeholders and interested parties are still under way and are expected to continue into early summer. These discussions are informing the development of the government's proposals on introducing generic substitution, including whether any medicines and, if so, which should be excluded from the arrangements, what "opt-outs" should apply and what safeguards need to be put in place.

Northern Ireland Office: Hire Cars

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much has the Northern Ireland Office paid for private hire cars in each of the last ten financial years.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The following table shows how much the Northern Ireland Office, excluding its agencies and executive NDPBs, paid to suppliers of private hire cars in each financial year since 2000-01, where costs have been charged to the private hire car expenditure code.
	
		
			 Financial Year Amount Paid (£'000) 
			 2000-01 221 
			 2001-02 109 
			 2002-03 252 
			 2003-04 355 
			 2004-05 407 
			 2005-06 342 
			 2006-07 385 
			 2007-08 227 
			 2008-09 83 
		
	
	There are also private hire car costs within general travel expenditure codes. To extract these costs, and verify that they related to private hire cars, would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of £750.
	During 2007-08 the department adopted a policy to make greater use of taxis rather than private hire cars where it is more cost-effective. This policy has led to an increase in taxi costs but has generated estimated whole year net savings of £150,000.
	Figures are not held for the period prior to 2000-01.

Northern Ireland Office: Mobile Phones

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 20 April (HL2453) concerning staff in the Northern Ireland Office, who decides if a member of staff requires a mobile phone and how.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has a policy that sets out criteria for the provision of departmental mobile phones to staff. Heads of division or unit are responsible for authorising the allocation of mobile phones having assessed the need against the criteria. The qualifying criteria are as follows:
	Working outside Normal Hours - The jobholder needs to be contactable outside normal hours to deal with work-related matters and/or the jobholder needs to make work-related calls outside normal working hours; or
	Working off-site - The jobholder is regularly required to work while away from NIO premises and without access to a landline (e.g. official travel) and needs to be in contact with or contactable by the office.

Northern Ireland Office: Taxis

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 18 March (WA 51) concerning the details of costs of taxis for the Northern Ireland Office being placed in the Library of the House, on what date the information was placed in the Library of the House.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The statement in the Answer provided on 18 March, Official Report, col. WA 51, that the information had been placed in the Library was made in error.
	I apologise for any confusion this caused.

Northern Ireland: Weapons

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government who owns the weapons, ammunitions and explosives reportedly placed beyond use by the Commission on Disarmament in Northern Ireland.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Decommissioning Scheme, based on Section 3(1) of the Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning Act 1997, provides that it is for the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning to determine the method by which arms are put completely beyond use.
	There are a number of methods at the disposal of the Commission to enable it to exercise its duties. Where decommissioning has involved the destruction and disposal of weapons, the issue of ownership does not arise.

Population

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the population of the world can continue to increase at the current rate.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The Government have not made any recent assessment of whether the world population can continue to increase at the current rate. Population assessments have proven to be unreliable over the medium to long term, due to unpredictable changes in global fertility and mortality rates. The maximum sustainable world population is almost impossible to determine accurately as it is strongly dependent on technological advances and their application.

Presbyterian Mutual Society of Northern Ireland

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of the Republic of Ireland about people in that country who have invested in the Presbyterian Mutual Society in Northern Ireland.

Lord Myners: Treasury Ministers and officials hold a wide variety of discussions with international counterparts as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Prisoners

Lord Ramsbotham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners currently held in custody have exceeded their tariff.

Lord Bach: On 24 April 2009, 4,612 indeterminate sentence prisoners were recorded as being detained in custody beyond the expiry of their tariff. Such prisoners do not fall to be released automatically on expiry of their tariff; they can be released only if the independent Parole Board is satisfied that the risk which they present is such that it may be safely managed in the community. Public protection is the board's overriding consideration.
	This figure includes those who have been released then subsequently recalled.
	These figures are taken from the Public Protection Unit database within the National Offender Management Service. As with any large-scale recording system, it is subject to possible errors arising from either data entry or processing.

Prisoners: Northern Ireland

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have in Northern Ireland to provide more and better alternatives to custody, together with restorative justice, for non-violent and repeat offenders, including women and fine and licence defaulters.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The existing range of community penalties and suspended sentences means that only around 8 per cent of convicted offenders are sentenced to immediate custody.
	We are committed to doing more. From 1April 2009 electronic monitoring has been available to the courts in Northern Ireland and offers an alternative to custodial remand in appropriate cases.
	Plans are also well advanced for improving fine enforcement and providing an alternative to custody for fine default. We will be announcing shortly a wider package of reform that is targeted towards all offenders who are fined, but may have a particular relevance to women offenders.
	In addition, plans are well advanced for a range of alternatives to prosecution for low-level offences.
	A very successful model of statutory youth conferencing has been operating in Northern Ireland for some time, reducing the time of custody for young people.
	There are plans to develop tailored restorative interventions with female offenders both as an alternative to prosecution and as a targeted element of certain community disposals. The proposals are contained in the Draft Strategy for the Management of Women Offenders published for consultation on 23 February, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Prisons: Northern Ireland

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will avoid increasing the capacity of the Northern Irish prisons, so as to devote resources to the education, care and resettlement of offenders.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: In December 2007 plans were announced for the provision of 400 additional prison places over the following three years and the redevelopment of Magilligan prison thereafter. This is needed to relieve overcrowding, to replace unsatisfactory accommodation and to take account of projected increases in the prisoner population.
	The provision of training, education and resettlement opportunities are important elements of the existing regimes which are funded from the overall prison service budget.
	In addition, NIPS have been provided with £4.7 million additional resources over the Comprehensive Spending Review period for the implementation of the Criminal Justice (NI) Order 2008 which rightly emphasises public protection and addressing offending behaviour.

Questions for Written Answer

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Lord President (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon) on 20 April (HL2524) concerning the answering of written questions for the Northern Ireland Office, which Ministers decided that questions to non-departmental public bodies should be dealt with directly by the body instead of requiring the answer to be printed in the Official Report; and on what basis and where that decision was taken.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The policy was determined by both Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office: the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Shaun Woodward) and the Minister of State for Northern Ireland (Paul Goggins).
	The noble Lord will be aware of the Answer given on 5 November 2008, Official Report, col. WA 70, which stated that where questions relate to operational matters that are the responsibility of public bodies and not the responsibility of Ministers, the answer ought to come from those bodies.

Questions for Written Answer: Northern Ireland Office

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the length of time the Northern Ireland Office takes to answer parliamentary Questions.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: I have nothing further to add to the Answers provided on 20 April, Official Report, col. WA 365, and 27 April, Official Report, col. WA 19.

Railways: East Midland Trains

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 2 April (WA 284), and having regard to the demand elasticity attaching to train journey times between principal stations, on what basis was the number of intermediate stops specified between Lincoln and Nottingham.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 2 April (WA 283), whether the specification of the East Midlands Trains service between Lincoln and Nottingham takes into account the potential for commuting between those cities, and Newark; and how the evidence for that specification was obtained.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 2 April (WA 284), whether the specification of train services between Nottingham, Newark and Lincoln was decided following consideration of any evidence; and if so, how that evidence was obtained.

Lord Adonis: The invitation to tender for the East Midlands franchise included a service level commitment for this route which was based on previous service patterns and levels of rail usage. The invitation to tender stated "bidders should assume the same timing for crossing the east coast main line at Newark as in the December 2006 timetable, but otherwise timings and calling patterns may be adjusted to fit with Bidder's other timetable proposals".
	The Department for Transport took this approach in order to allow the operator some commercial flexibility with a view to improving overall reliability and value for money. As with all franchise competitions, local and regional priorities are put forward by local authorities with passenger transport responsibilities. Consultees are asked to supply evidence to inform the specification, and local authorities are particularly encouraged to provide information on any future schemes (such as housing developments) which are likely to affect demand.
	The current timetable was drawn up on the commercial and operational judgement of the operator, who consulted on timetable changes which were made in December 2008.

Railways: East Midland Trains

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will meet interested local people to explore means by which the train service between Lincoln and Nottingham and further afield might be enhanced.

Lord Adonis: Interested parties should approach East Midlands Trains to investigate the scope for changes to services. I would be happy to discuss the outcome of any discussions with the train operator.

Railways: East Midland Trains

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 2 April (WA 284), what studies they have made of links between demand for a railway connection and the population of the places connected; and, if a link has been demonstrated, on what basis any contrary decision is made.

Lord Adonis: The Department for Transport models potential future demand for rail and considers the results when specifying services. Population change will affect rail demand, but population is not the determining factor: other key factors include the employment opportunities in local or regional centres, the propensity of different social groups to travel, car ownership and road access to potential destination towns.
	Decisions on calling patterns are steered by a wide number of considerations, alongside demand, including affordability, value for money and operational factors such as rail performance and rolling stock.

Railways: Fares

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much regulated rail fares have increased since 1997.

Lord Adonis: The Office of Rail Regulation publishes a fares index in National Rail Trends, which is available from its website atwww.rail-reg.gov.uk. Up until 2008 regulated fares have been below accumulated inflation. The next edition of National Rail Trends is due in the summer of 2009.

Roads: Traffic Officers

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government what functions on main roads, trunk roads and motorways are given to Traffic Officers; and what functions they do not have which remain with the police.

Lord Adonis: The role of the traffic officer is to deal with routine incidents on the motorways in England and on some all-purpose trunk roads, and to assist the emergency services in dealing with traffic management at the more serious incidents. Traffic officers, in the seven regional control centres, set signs and signals and answer emergency roadside telephones.
	This involves maintaining and improving the movement of traffic on relevant roads and to prevent or reduce the effect of congestion, which may involve stopping and directing traffic, removing debris and other obstructions from the carriageway, closing lanes and carriageways and management of traffic.
	Traffic officers do not have an enforcement role. The police remain responsible for tackling crime, investigating collisions, and enforcing the law.

Roads: Traffic Officers

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government to whom Traffic Officers are responsible; how many are employed in the United Kingdom by region or police authority; and what is the total annual cost of Traffic Officers.

Lord Adonis: The Highways Agency, as an executive agency of the Department for Transport, is responsible for the Traffic Officer Service.
	The Traffic Officer Service covers the strategic road network in England. The number of traffic officers employed by Highways Agency region, as at 31March 2009, is as follows:
	Yorkshire & North East 206North West 310East Midlands 134West Midland 218East 320South East 239South West 184
	The estimated cost of traffic officers in England for 2008-09 is £50.65 million. This includes pay, overtime, travel time, and travel and subsistence and includes on road traffic officers, control room traffic officers, traffic officer managers, and 35 support staff.

Roads: Traffic Officers

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many vehicles are currently used by Traffic Officers; what is the cost of putting each fully-equipped vehicle on the road; and for how many hours each vehicle is on average in use each week.

Lord Adonis: The traffic officer fleet currently comprises a total of 195 vehicles. Of these:
	154 are available for use by traffic officers32 are used by team managers9 are used for training
	Traffic officer vehicles have an average monthly lease fee of £1,450, excluding VAT. Team manager vehicles have an average monthly lease fee of £900, excluding VAT. Training vehicles have an average monthly lease of £700, excluding VAT.
	The cost of conversion of a base vehicle to a full traffic officer specification can vary between £6,000 and £11,000 excluding VAT, subject to the extent of equipment utilised from an old replaced vehicle.
	The average weekly use of each traffic officer patrol vehicle is 100 hours.

Social Care: Adults

Lord King of West Bromwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards they propose to introduce to combat alleged elderly abuse as highlighted in the Panorama programme on "Britain's Homecare Scandal" of 9 April; and whether they will introduce the public provision of care homes for the most vulnerable older people.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that social care companies are paid for their services only where those are judged to be satisfactory by the close relatives of the elderly person whose care is being provided.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Government consider that every older person is entitled to high-quality, safe and dignified care, whether it is provided in their own home or anywhere else. Anything less is completely unacceptable.
	We established an independent system of statutory regulation, registration and inspection of social care provision and introduced national minimum standards (NMS) for care homes, domiciliary care and adult placements. The Regulations and NMS are intended to ensure vulnerable and older people can live in a safe environment, where their rights and dignity are respected and staff are properly trained.
	The previous regulator of social care, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), reported that the quality of care, measured against the NMS, improved in every year since they were first introduced.
	The new integrated regulator of health and adult social care, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), is responsible for registering, inspecting and regulating all social care providers. It has a wide range of enforcement powers under the Care Standards Act 2000. These include issuing notices requiring improvement within a specified time period, prosecuting providers for failing to provide proper care and even closing down a provider by cancelling its registration.
	From 2010, the CQC will be introducing a new system of registration under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. This will give it additional powers to fine providers and suspend those which are not providing acceptable levels of care.
	Local councils are responsible for the provision of social care services and for the quality of those services, whether provided directly or via contracting with private and independent organisations. Anyone who is not satisfied with the quality of care they receive from their council is entitled to pursue the matter via the social services complaints procedure and ask the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate.
	The department is leading a review of the No Secrets statutory guidance on safeguarding of older and vulnerable people. The public consultation phase of the review closed on 31 January 2009, following unprecedented levels of engagement from a wide range of organisations and individuals, including older people and those with mental health needs and learning disabilities, together with their representatives. There was also active participation from several thousand professional workers in the police, social work, the National Health Service and voluntary, legal and housing sectors. The department is presently analysing some 500 detailed written responses which were received.

Social Care: Companies

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they monitor private elderly care companies employed by local councils.

Lord Darzi of Denham: All social care providers, whether in the public, private or voluntary sectors and whether they provide care directly to service users or on behalf of local councils, are required to register with the independent regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
	The CQC regulates—registers and inspects—all providers according to statutory regulations and national minimum standards (NMS), which govern the quality and safety of care and are intended to ensure that service users can live in a safe environment, where their rights and dignity are respected and staff are properly trained.
	The previous regulator of social care, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), reported that the quality of care, measured against the NMS, improved in every year since they were first introduced.
	The CQC has a wide range of enforcement powers under the Care Standards Act 2000. These include issuing notices requiring improvement within a specified time period, prosecuting providers for failing to provide proper care and even closing down a provider by cancelling its registration.
	From 2010, the CQC will be introducing a new system of registration under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. This will give it additional powers to fine providers and suspend those which are not providing acceptable levels of care.
	Local councils are responsible for the provision of social care services and for the quality of those services, whether provided directly or via contracting with private and independent organisations. Anyone who is not satisfied with the quality of care they receive from their council is entitled to pursue the matter via the social services complaints procedure and ask the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate.

Sport: Free Swimming

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government which Councils in England have chosen not to provide free swimming for those aged (a) under 16 and (b) over 60; and, in each case, what reasons they have given for not doing so.

Lord Carter of Barnes: A full list of eligible local authorities, giving details of participation, is available on the DCMS website at:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/sport/5810.aspx
	Non-participating local authorities gave a range of reasons for non-participation, including, for example, that the funding offered was, in their view, insufficient, or they were unable to meet the terms and conditions attached to that funding.

St Helena: Airport

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government for what purpose Option B is included in the consultation document on an airport for St Helena; and whether they will delete that option.

Lord Tunnicliffe: In the current climate we must weigh up the short-term financial costs of an airport for St Helena compared with alternative access options.
	We want to hear how interested parties view the advantages and disadvantages of this option before making a decision. The Government will not delete Option B.

St Helena: Airport

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government in assessing responses to the consultation on an airport for St Helena, what weight they will give to submissions from individuals or organisations who (a) have direct involvement with the island, (b) reside, have resided or wish to return to reside on the island, and (c) have visited the island, against those with no history of interest or involvement in the island.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The Secretary of State for International Development will consider the full range of views expressed through the consultation before making a decision on the most appropriate access option for St Helena in the current economic climate. Those with an interest in access to St Helena, or in the overall use of the Government's development budget, are welcome to submit a response.
	The consultation is being conducted in line with the Government Code of Practice on Consultation, and the guidance published by the Better Regulation Executive (Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform). Consultation is not a public vote, but rather a qualitative exercise to seek evidence to help deliver the most effective and efficient policy within the constraints set. All submissions from interested parties will be taken into account and given due weight. A summary of all responses received will be published by 31 October, before the final decision on access to St Helena is made.

Sudan: Asylum Seekers

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their current policy towards Darfuri asylum seekers of non-Arab origin.

Lord West of Spithead: All asylum claims including those from non-Arab Darfuris are considered on their individual merits against the background of the latest country information and relevant caselaw. Where an individual is identified by the case decision making process and the independent appeals process not to be in need of international protection, they would be expected to leave the UK voluntarily and the UK Border Agency would not attempt to prevent such returns. However, enforced returns of non-Arab Darfuris to Sudan have been suspended since July 2008 and will continue to be suspended until a forthcoming country guidance case has been determined by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal.

Sudan: Asylum Seekers

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what form of assessment is undertaken when investigating the ethnic background of non-Arab Darfuri asylum seekers.

Lord West of Spithead: Every applicant who registers an asylum claim with the UK Border Agency is required to go through a screening process to establish the applicant's identity and nationality. Where relevant to the asylum claim, the applicant's ethnic origin will be further investigated at an in-depth asylum interview to discuss the reasons for seeking asylum. An assessment of the available evidence will then be made in the light of the country of origin information and any expert evidence submitted by the applicant.
	A decision will then be reached as to the individual's protection needs under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Sudan: Asylum Seekers

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government in light of recent evidence of mistreatment and arbitrary arrest of Darfuris upon their return to Sudan, whether they will consider reviewing their asylum policy.

Lord West of Spithead: We are committed to providing protection for those individuals found to need it in accordance with our obligations under international law. We closely monitor the situation in Sudan and, based on the latest available evidence, do not accept that all Darfuris should be afforded asylum in the UK. Neither do we accept that it is unsafe to return all Darfuris to Khartoum. Protection needs vary between individuals, which is why each asylum claim is carefully considered on its individual merits.

Sudan: Asylum Seekers

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider imposing a moratorium on returns of Darfuri asylum seekers to Sudan until their safety can be guaranteed.

Lord West of Spithead: At present, we are not enforcing the return of non-Arab Darfuri asylum seekers until a forthcoming country guidance case has been determined by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. Our general position however remains that we believe the right approach is to consider protection need on an individual case basis.
	We do not accept that we should make the presumption that each and every asylum seeker who presents themselves as being from a particular country, regardless of their individual circumstances, should automatically be afforded the protection of being allowed to remain in the UK.

Tennyson Obih

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Tennyson Obih was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic within the United Kingdom; what medical treatment and supervision was available to him; and whether the police had been notified of his location and condition.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any recommendations, including for commitment within a secure environment, had been made by Tennyson Obih's medical and supervisory team regarding his failure to comply with advice and instructions relating to his treatment and his failure to cooperate with community nurses.

Lord Darzi of Denham: It would be inappropriate to disclose any information about an individual patient's diagnosis or treatment as it would be a breach of patient confidentiality.
	The East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) has confirmed that it will be commissioning an independent investigation into this case. This investigation will be independent of those organisations and individuals who have been involved in the care and treatment of Tennyson Obih. Once the independent investigation is completed, the SHA will make public any recommendations, which will be considered by the local National Health Service. The implementation of any resulting action plans will be monitored by local commissioners.

Terrorism

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in developing a communications toolkit for local delivery partners to build their capacities to implement effective communications around the Prevent agenda.

Baroness Andrews: In January 2009, the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) and the Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU) commissioned a creative media agency, Bold Creative, to develop a communications toolkit for local delivery partners. This built on work that had been done by Bold Creative the previous year under the auspices of the West London Alliance (led by the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham), which included a 12-month period of research and consultation with West London communities.
	The communications toolkit is intended as a practical reference manual for local authorities and partner agencies, including members of local strategic partnerships, to help them to implement effective communications around the Prevent agenda. The toolkit provides step-by-step guidance on best practice in areas such as developing and implementing local Prevent communications strategies, identifying target audiences and the most effective channels for reaching them, planning effective campaigns and communications activities, and reacting to media and wider community interest in Prevent-related issues.
	The first draft of the toolkit will be circulated among key stakeholders for their comments in the coming weeks, with a view to publishing the final document by the end of May.

Young Offenders: Dyslexia

Lord Elton: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 26 February (WA 106) regarding Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre, during the three years referred to (a) how many inmates were screened for dyslexia; (b) how many inmates were identified as showing indications for dyslexia; (c) what was the total cost of the screening; and (d) what was the total cost of the screening per inmate so identified.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 17 March (WA 34) regarding Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre, (a) what method of screening for dyslexia was applied during the last three years; (b) who conducted the screening; and (c) what action was taken as a result of the screening by the staff of the centre and others in relation to those inmates identified as showing indications for dyslexia or reporting attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 17 March (WA 34) regarding Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre, (a) how many inmates were screened for dyslexia in the last three years; (b) whether the subsequent engagement of these inmates with the juvenile and criminal justice systems has been monitored and, if so, whether there has been a difference between the re-offending rates of those identified as showing indications for dyslexia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and of the others; and (c) whether they will maintain this comparison over a period of five years for statistical purposes.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 17 March (WA 34) regarding Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre, how many inmates screened for dyslexia at the centre have self-reported learning difficulties other than dyslexia and what are those difficulties.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: During the last three years at Hydebank Wood, 635 young offenders have been screened for indicators of dyslexia. Of these, 197 had one or more indicators for dyslexia.
	Screening is carried out by teaching staff as part of a wider educational assessment and it is not therefore possible separately to identify the costs. Staff at Hydebank Wood use Quick Scan, a computerised screening tool developed for students in further education. As well as identifying indicators for dyslexia, it also provides an analysis of students' strengths and weaknesses in a range of educational disciplines.
	Relevant information from the assessment is passed to those teachers who will be working with the individual, enabling them to make appropriate, reasonable adjustments to their lessons. This information is also made available to agencies working within Hydebank Wood, via the prisoner's individual resettlement plan.
	Individuals are not screened for indicators of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but where a prisoner self-reports, or where staff believe this may be beneficial, they can be referred to specific programmes within the prison facilitated by Northern Ireland Attention Deficit Disorder. These programmes are designed to help them manage their condition. Prisoners can also be referred to a GP if healthcare staff and the prisoner believe that medication may be helpful.
	The Criminal Justice System does not monitor separately reoffending rates for those showing indications of dyslexia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
	NIPS do not currently hold information on how many prisoners screened for indicators of dyslexia have self-reported learning difficulties other than dyslexia, or what those difficulties are. However it is hoped to trial additional screening tools at Hydebank Wood in the autumn, which will give better information on prisoners displaying indicators of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.